Manual gearboxes are edging back into the hypercar conversation, and now Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac just poured fuel on the fire. At Monterey Car Week, he did more than nod politely to three-pedal fans, inviting people to “imagine a V16 with a manual, real manual” tied directly to Bugatti’s next engine era.
That single line has already spun into “manual Bugatti confirmed” headlines, even though Rimac never announced a specific model or program. If you care about stick-shift supercars, the key is separating what he actually committed to from what is still wishful thinking, so you do not mistake a CEO’s enthusiasm for a signed-off production plan.
